Chile: Land of Snow and Sand
By Ana Figueroa
In his famous poem Descubridores de Chile, the country's beloved
poet and diplomat Pablo Neruda romanticizes his homeland as a "slim
nation" made of "night, snow, and sand." This remote land of contrasts
and unparalleled beauty stretches in a long strip down the western
edge of South America to the tip of Cape Horn.
And, as Neruda writes in his poem, she is
indeed slim: over 2,700 miles in length, but averaging less than
150 miles in width. To the
east, the imposing Andes form the country's "backbone," featuring dozens
of active volcanic peaks and creating a border with Argentina. Between
the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, Chile's topography is one of extremes.
In the north is the Atacama Desert, one of the driest spots on the
planet. To the south, the land gives way to a maze of islands, inlets,
and glacial fjords. At Chile's far south is Cape Horn, where the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans meet in a fury of the seas passable only through
the nearby Strait of Magellan.
Central Chile is the country's most densely populated region and home
to the three largest cities: Santiago, Valparaíso, and Concepción.
Most international visitors arrive in Santiago, the country's capital.
One of South America's most vibrant and thriving cities, Santiago is
home to grand boulevards, skyscrapers, and a modern metro system, as
well as beautiful cathedrals, cobblestone walkways, and colonial plazas
surrounded by parks. Make sure to visit San Cristobal Hill, which provides
a wonderful panoramic view of the city below. And Plaza de Armas is
the "must-see" center of Santiago. More than 450 years old, the tree-lined
plaza holds government offices, a beautiful cathedral and, on any given
afternoon, much of Santiago's population. For those interested in pre-Columbian
art, two museums adjacent to the Plaza will provide an afternoon's
diversion: the Museum of Santiago and the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian
Art.
Santiago is a good base for day trips to
national parks, ski areas, hot springs, and 300-year old haciendas.
Some of the country's most
well-known vineyards, such as Concha y Toro, are a short distance away
in the Maipo Valley. At night, an array of restaurants offers the chance
to sample regional specialties, such as cazuela, a broth with
rice, corn, potatoes, and beef or chicken. Try the national drink,
a pisco sour, but beware, it is more potent than it seems!
West of Santiago are two "sister cities," Valparaíso and Viña del
Mar. The elegant Valparaíso, which Neruda often wrote about, is an
important port known for its winding, narrow streets and its funicular
railways that ascend to the hilltops. Viña del Mar is one of the most
popular beach resorts in Chile. To the south lies the scenic Lake District,
a land of dense forests and ferns, and sparkling blue-green lakes that
reflect the image of snowcapped volcanoes towering overhead. It is
also the land of the Araucanians, the indigenous people of Chile. The
area near Lake Villarrica has a large population of Mapuche, the most
prominent of the Araucanian tribes. Though not as well known as the
Maya, the Aztecs, or Incas, the Mapuche are nonetheless among the most
distinguished indigenous people of the Americas. They fended off invasions
by the Inca in the 15th century and by the Spaniards in the 16th century,
using fierce guerilla warfare tactics.
In addition to its historical significance,
the Lake District is also home to one of Chile's most spectacular
sights, the Villarrica Volcano. The volcano is one of the most active
in South America, and tourists
flock to its peak for a look inside its sulfur-filled crater.
Chile's southernmost region offers its most
dramatic scenery, such as Torres del Paine National Park, the Strait
of Magellan, Cape Horn,
and the Patagonian channels. Torres del Paine is named for the cluster
of immense, natural granite formations that tower over beautiful lakes
and forests, rivers and waterfalls. The park is a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve, which grants protected status to the native guanaco, Chilean
deer, and countless species of birds, such as black-necked swans and
small ostriches, called nandues.
Punta Arenas is Chile's southernmost developed city. Overlooking the
Strait of Magellan, the city has prospered as a transportation hub
since the California gold rush brought hordes of vessels that circled
the continent on their way to promised riches. Today, modern cruise
ships frequently call at Punta Arenas during itineraries that include
the Chilean fjords and Antarctica. From Punta Arenas, a day trip will
take the traveler to the Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos, home to more
than 100,000 Magellanic Penguins.
Chile's territory includes several islands of note, as well. The most
far afield is Easter Island, located in the South Pacific, and known
also by its Polynesian name, Rapa Nui. The island is famous for its
Moai, massive figures carved from volcanic rock and hoisted atop stone
platforms by early Polynesian settlers. The island's first European
explorers were the Dutch in the 18th century, followed by the Spanish
and the famed English explorer, Captain James Cook. A Chilean naval
officer annexed the island for Chile in the late 19th century.
Closer to the mainland is Chiloé, the largest island-or collection
of islands- in South America. It is known for its rain forests, beaches,
and small farms. Charles Darwin once spent time here, roaming through
the lush vegetation now encased within a national park. The islands
are shrouded almost continuously with a fog, said to be the origin
of an array of mythical land and sea creatures.
Even more famous are the Juan Fernández Islands, west of Valparaíso.
Once a safe haven for pirates, the islands now protect endangered species,
such as the fur seal. But, their most well known visitor was one Alexander
Selkirk, a Scottish castaway who was marooned on one of the islands
from 1704 to 1709. Selkirk was the model for Daniel Defoe's Robinson
Crusoe, another literary work which, like the poems of Neruda,
was inspired by this vast and mysterious country.
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